Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore Prologue
by Puddlejumper64
Summary: Jack Skellington hears about an old friend, now turned enemy, and seeks to confront him about it. In the process, he uncovers a much greater threat that endangers the safety of Halloween Town.


Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore Prologue

Jack Skellington looked upon the base he was approaching during the night. The main building in the center was a very basic design. It was essentially a tower, but the roof expanded beyond the walls into platforms. There were three large platforms with about a dozen smaller ones in between them. It gave the appearance of a mechanical tree of sorts.

Surrounding the central building were four smaller towers in a square formation. They appeared to be of little importance other than accentuating the central building, but Jack surmised they were for defensive purposes.

Both the central tower and the four surrounding it were made of some sort of black material; obsidian? Maybe; Jack wasn't sure, but he is curious to find out. He found the design of the base to be very intriguing. There was something very frightening about this place and he couldn't help but appreciate that quality. In fact, he found it inspiring.

Ideas flowed into his mind. Perhaps he could build a building similar to this and form a command center of his own. An area where he could come up with fantastic ways to celebrate Halloween. The town could store resources there throughout the year so there would be plenty for the frightening celebrations. Yes, what an excellent idea!

Jack then snapped out of his thoughts. There were more important matters to take care of at the moment.

The guide, a man wearing all black with red hair poking out from his fukumen, led Jack across a bridge that connected the mainland to the mass that the base was built on. The towers were built on a column of solid stone, sturdy enough to handle all the weight that pressed it down.

The bridge itself was also black and entirely made of metal. There were no handlebars or anything of the sort. Nothing prevented Jack from leaping into the darkness below. He was very impressed. Oh, the things he could do if he brought the citizens of Halloween Town here! _Did I even leave that world?_

"Watch your step," the guide said.

"Of course," he responded.

As they were nearing the end, a metallic groan emanated from the bridge. It was so loud that Jack half-expected it to collapse. Fear gripped his being as he continued his trek. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He always enjoyed the feeling of being frightened. The tension in the air, the panic in the face, the pounding heart, he loved all of it.

He once again chuckled to himself. He was a skeleton. A skeleton in a suit with a bat for a tie. He also had very long arms and legs, giving him the appearance of a spider. He could make expressions just fine, but most don't see the panic he feels since he has no eyes. And most of all, he had no literal heart. The feel of extra blood pumping into his muscles; he missed that experience. By every definition of the word, he was completely dead.

Jack and the guide made it across the bridge safely and they approached the base. Once they were in between the first two towers before them, a female voice echoed through the air, "Stop!" The two immediately froze in place. "Hold still for the scan."

"Scan?" Jack asked. Suddenly, the tip of the towers rotated, revealing a gigantic turret with the barrel aimed straight at them. He quickly readied himself to dodge whatever it fired at him.

"Stay calm," the guide said quickly. "This is standard procedure." Jack nodded, but he didn't relax. A stream of blue energy came from both towers, heading towards the other. They passed straight through the guide and Jack without harming them, and then disappeared in the opposite tower.

The turrets then turned back around and shut down. The female voice rang out once more, "You are cleared to enter."

The guide continued his way with Jack following. The grounds were completely barren. There was no plant life or even signs of human life. It's as if this base of theirs was abandoned. Jack felt himself tense up for no apparent reason.

Jack looked up at the large central tower as he entered. It was much bigger than he expected, both in height and width. It seemed to loom over him, almost to the point where it seemed to be falling over. They went inside.

Jack expected there to be a large hall when he entered, but instead the doors just opened up to a hallway lit only by torches every few feet. "Stay close," the guide said. "It is easy to get lost in here."

Jack once again didn't speak, but simply nodded. As they rounded a few corners, he grew more and more uneasy. At first, Jack really enjoyed looking upon this gem of a structure, but there was something downright unpleasant here. He thought he felt it from the courtyard, but now he was sure of it. There was something evil about this place.

Perhaps he was having these feelings because of his experience in…that place. "Brother…" he muttered under his breath. Then he caught the guide staring at him. Jack was surprised when he saw a small degree of sadness in the man's eyes. It was slight, but there was no mistaking it was there. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The guide turned away and shook his head. "No, sir, just some unpleasant memories resurfacing."

"What memories would those be?"

The guide turned back to him and appeared as if he was about to let his entire life flow from his mouth, but he stopped himself. For a moment, he seemed…conflicted; probably deciding whether he should tell him. Finally, he just said, "I'd rather not talk about it, sir. The less you know, the better."

_How mysterious, _Jack thought, his attention returning to their trek.

The inside of the base was just as empty as the outside. There was no sign that any human walked through these halls. Jack finally spoke up and asked, "Guide, for such a large place, there are very few people here. Why are there no guards or any of the sort?"

"We don't need them," he replied.

They both stepped on a platform of some sort at the end of a hallway. It was simply a concrete slab with a console and a lever. "Don't need them? Why would you not need them?"

"I'm not at liberty to divulge that information."

Jack thought about pressing him further, but decided that would not be wise and simply said, "Very well."

The guide went over to the console, pushed a couple of buttons and then pulled the lever. The platform jerked and they started rising quickly.

Once they reached the proper floor (near the top of the tower, Jack guessed), the elevator screeched to a halt. The guide pushed the lever back and the platform securely locked into place. "Right this way."

Jack followed him. Once again, they came across a dark hallway filled with torches. They turned left and then came across a door. Somehow, Jack wasn't expecting one with a knob. The hallway continued on a fair distance, though it was hard to tell how far. The guide knocked on the door. The deep, gruff voice of an old man answered, "Come in."

He opened the door and both he and Jack entered. This room was surprisingly large. It, in many ways, reminded him of the town hall back home, even if the ceiling was only a couple feet higher than his own head. Just like before, the torches lined the walls and was the only source of light with the exception of the lamp on the desk before him. There were two men standing next to the desk, seeming to be discussing something important, while a third one sat behind the desk. The latter stood up as they entered. "Jack Skellington!" he shouted. He then briefly turned his attention to the other two. "We'll talk later."

The guide that led Jack into the base went to the corner right by the door and joined two others there. The two who stood by the desk walked through a door off to Jack's left and closed it behind them.

The man walked around the desk and approached him. "May I be the first to welcome you to the Kaito Consortium's central base?"

Jack immediately proceeded to his most urgent question. "Where is the Millenium Earl?"

"Ah, of course. I see Sora told you about him."

"Yes," Jack glanced at the corner where the guides stood, "Sora told me everything."

"Very well. He isn't here yet, though he will arrive soon. Please, sit down."

Jack slowly and cautiously sat down on the chairs. Kaito chuckled at this as he sat down. "I did not have bombs set up under the chairs, don't worry."

"One can never be too careful."

"Yes, I quite agree. And your mistrust of me is understandable. You're in a strange world in a quite unfamiliar environment. If I were in your place, I'd be checking more than just the chairs," he chuckled.

"I have many questions for you."

The old man nodded. "Of course, I will answer anything you ask to the best of my ability."

"Let's start off with something easy. Who are you?"

"My name is Kaito Nakamura."

"I am renowned throughout for my skill and craft, but if…Sora tells me is true, you've heard of me. In a place in which I've never even entered, how did my fame spread into this world?"

"Don't get me wrong. You're not exactly famous in this world. Just among us: the Kaito Consortium."

Jack raised an eyebrow, as it were. "Oh? Tell me why I'm so fascinating to you."

Kaito smiled. "I see there is an intelligent mind within that skull. There is no point in hiding it. I admit, you've been under watch for some time."

Jack leaned forward in surprise with a hint of anger. "What?! How? Why?"

"'How' is something I cannot reveal to you. However, I can tell you why."

"Elaborate. _Now._"

"In order for you to understand, you first need to know about the Ultimate Objective of the Kaito Consortium."

_Ultimate Objective?_ "And that would be…?"

"Peace."

Jack was taken aback by this simple response and leaned back into the chair. "Peace?"

"Yes, peace. You may not be aware of it, but there are countless other worlds in existence. The Holiday Towns are just one of those worlds. There is earth as you're aware, the world this base is in—don't ask the name; it doesn't have one—just to mention a couple. And, yet, virtually all of them, with very few exceptions are all steeped in conflict. Even Halloween Town had its conflicts as you're aware."

Jack let his mind wander briefly. The Christmas Catastrophe, his battle with Oogie… Yes, it was hard to deny. "But there were very few conflicts. We manage to keep order most of the time."

"But wouldn't it be better if _all_ conflicts were erased forever?"

_Erased forever?_ "What is it that you're proposing?"

"That we join forces, of course!"

"Join forces?" Jack once again found himself leaning forward in his chair. "Why?"

"To benefit us both. The citizens in Halloween Town are dead, yes?"

"Some more than others."

"Then they would be perfect as soldiers."

Jack quickly stood up and slammed his fists onto Kaito's desk. "SOLDIERS?! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Kaito stood up and just as menacingly stared at Jack without looking away. "Sit down, Pumpkin King! I am not finished!"

"No doubt, but I don't care! Our discussion is over!"

"You have no juris…" Kaito stopped and breathed in and out. Once he calmed down, he said, "All I need you to do is finish listening to what I have to say, and then respond. Is that too much to ask of you?"

Jack would've been lying to himself if he said saying "yes" wasn't tempting. But another thought occurred to him. The Christmas Catastrophe, while it resulted in reinvigorating himself, was still a mistake; one that nearly cost the life of Santa Claus and his love, Sally. If he should make another such mistake… Jack put his hands on the desk. "Very well, but you better have good reasons for this."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have sent for you." Kaito settled back down on his seat while Jack did the same. "As I was saying, you and the citizens of your town would make excellent soldiers. Not only will you not die, but you will also strike fear in your enemies a sight better than our forces can."

"There is something else. Not everyone in Halloween Town is dead. What about them?"

"They can stay put. Only the ones already dead can become soldiers since they can't be killed. That way, there will be no casualties counted among them." Kaito paused for a moment. "Perhaps 'soldier' was too inaccurate of a word. They would be merely peacekeeping forces. Large scale combat is not likely to happen."

"I see. Now what's in this for me?"

"I will do the same for you. With your permission, I would like to put a compliment of our soldiers in the town to protect it from harm. Due to the limitations of our means of transportation we can only deploy a maximum of five troops for days at a time. If there's any trouble happening, they will be happy to assist."

"Troops? What troops? I haven't seen anyone here."

"They're not here. We have them stationed at other bases."

"Why have bases filled with your soldiers, but leave your main base practically barren?"

"Because we're here."

"All the more reason to have guards!"

Kaito held up his hand and Jack stopped talking. "Asking why is dangerous, Jack. For now, just accept the fact that we don't need them."

Jack was hardly intimidated by this man. Even so, he responded, "Fine. It's of no concern of mine, anyway."

"Indeed, it isn't. So what do you say about our arrangement?"

Jack thought this through carefully. Only the citizens of Halloween Town that aren't dead will become soldiers. In return, the Consortium will send soldiers to the town. He snapped back to reality. "What would the guards be doing exactly at Halloween Town?"

"Stand by, of course. Just in case trouble arises."

Jack leaned even closer to the desk and peered into Kaito's eyes. "Are you sure they're not there to maintain control over the town?"

Kaito leaned forward until their faces were just inches away. "Never would I even consider conquering your world."

Jack paused for a moment and then sat back down. There was no question. Kaito hid it very well, but Jack could tell that he was insincere. "I admit, it was a tempting offer, but I still refuse to let any of the citizens to become soldiers."

Kaito nodded. "Very well."

Jack stood up on his thin, long legs. "I will be going now. I'm tired of waiting for the Earl."

He turned and headed to the door. "Just so you know, Jack," Kaito said, "this is your loss."

"I think not," Jack rebuked and went to the door. Right as he was reaching for the handle, someone knocked on the door. Jack tensed up and sensed what could very well be behind the door.

"Come in!" Kaito shouted.

Jack stepped aside as the door opened. A fourth guide emerged and after him… "Millenium Earl," he said, seething with anger and hatred.

The giant mass of lard, wearing a yellow coat, black leggings and shoes, a ring of flowers wrapped around a top hat, and a pink umbrella with a pumpkin on the end, waddled inside. The pumpkin suddenly came to life and squealed in fright at the sight of him. "JACK SKELLINGTON, LERO!"

"Hello, Lero," Jack greeted back maliciously. He turned his attention back to the Earl. "Is it true what my guide told me? That you weaponized your akuma?"

"Is that how you greet an old friend, Jack?"

"Friend?! You used us!" Jack paused briefly. "You used _me!"_

"I had hoped you would never figure out my intentions, but I suppose it is time you learnt the truth. Yes, I turned them into weapons. And they will be instrumental in my goal to wipe out humanity in the World of the Exorcists."

Jack gritted his teeth when he heard this. "How casually you say it! If it didn't make me sick, you might have even gotten a chuckle out of me."

The Earl responded by tipping his hat. "Well, I am glad I entertain you so."

Jack slammed his palm against the wall and slowly curled it into a fist. "Don't treat this so light-heartedly. Do you have any idea how angry I am?!"

"Raising my voice will feed your anger and it seems staying calm does the same. So in the end, it doesn't matter now, does it?"

Jack so badly wanted to raise his fist against him, but he knew it would do no good. He was aware of how powerful the Earl was. Landing a punch on him would be like stopping a flood with his bare hands.

But Kaito interrupted, "That is enough! The tension in the air is too charged for my liking. I'm cutting this meeting short."

"Stay out of this, Kaito!" Jack shouted.

Kaito stood up from his seat. "I will not! I can see where this is going and I don't like it one bit. Jack, leave this place at once. Lord Millennium, please take a seat."

Jack glanced back at Kaito, not bothering to hide his shock. "You are dealing with this traitor?!"

"Who he has betrayed and who his allies are don't matter to me. I am simply talking business with him, as I have done with you."

Jack turned to leave. "I've heard enough of this. I knew I was right to refuse your offer." He turned the knob and opened the door. "Pleasant day…_gentlemen,_" he spat out and then closed the door behind him.

The Earl turned his attention to Kaito. "I must say, that was…" As he began walking to Kaito's desk, he looked upon the guides in the corner of the room. He stopped and cold and seemed to study one of them in particular.

"Does he still remind you of him?"

"Yes. That reminds me, you still have yet to tell me how you manage to bring the dead back to life."

"Well, I suppose you deserve something after spending the last few days here. Soon, we will have two methods of resurrection."

"Is that so? I don't suppose there's any way to convince you to give me more information?" Kaito half-smiled and shook his head. "Well, I suppose that'll do for now. As for your offer, after much thought and deliberation, I have decided to reject your offer."

"You're rejecting as well?"

The Earl seemed to peer into his soul, his yellow eyes glistening behind his glasses. "Yes. It was a tempting offer, but I believe things are going well as it is. In the last major skirmish, six exorcists died. If that keeps up, all of them will be dead soon enough. Besides, I already have powerful allies at my side. I don't need any more."

"Very well, but I would like to make sure you're aware of the gravity of the situation. We conducted a test on Arystar Krory, their most recent recruit…"

"…and he passed. Yes, I'm aware. But frankly, as long as you stay out of the World of the Exorcists, they won't be a bother."

"That's the problem…"

He was interrupted by a slight shaking in the ground. Loose dust in the ceiling fell to the floor as the ground writhed underneath their feet. No one took cover. In fact, Kaito stood up, his eyes wide with what appeared to be a mix of fear and unbelief. "It's happening…"

The Earl stood up as well. "What is?"

"Wait a moment."

The Earl said nothing and waited for it to end. The problem was, it didn't end for an unnaturally long while. Kaito and the others didn't seem affected by it. In fact, they were quite calm. The Earl was calm as well, but potential causes of this shaking cycled through his mind.

Lero, who had been silent the entire time, poked his head up from beside the Earl. Kaito glanced at him and he immediately dropped back down. Why is he afraid of him?

Finally, it stopped. The Earl didn't waste any time. "You mind explaining what that was? That was no earthquake."

"No. It was a sign."

"A sign? A sign of what?"

Kaito, whose eyes had been wandering, finally focused his attention on the Earl. "It's a sign that we will need to accelerate our plans."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"We will have to capture you."

He said it so nonchalantly that the Earl thought for a moment he misheard. "Come again?!"

Kaito simply repeated, "We will have to capture you."

Instead of acting, the Earl simply sighed. "You are aware I can annihilate this base if I wanted to, correct?"

"Oh, I'm aware."

The Millenium Earl chuckled at his bluntness. "You fascinate me, Kaito. Your response suggests that your arrogance and overconfidence led you to believe you can take me down. However, during the past few days, I've learned that you're not arrogant in the least bit; overconfident, maybe, but not arrogant. You have an ace up your sleeve, the question is what?"

"Would you like to find out?"

"I don't intend to." The Earl then raised his arm and in the palm of his hand a ball of dark energy grew bigger and bigger. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

He was just about to release it when Kaito snapped his fingers.

The Earl didn't know what happened. The power that he felt in his hand was suddenly gone. He looked at his palm and sure enough, there was nothing there. He tried to summon another one, but nothing happened. Needless to say, he was shocked. "What is this? What have you done?!"

"I fail to see why I should explain, Lord Millenium. Just know that your powers have been stripped away, including your ability to summon akuma."

The Earl couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How is this possible?"

Kaito simply smiled. "Let's just say that you've been under watch for some time; long enough to determine your level of strength, your styles and abilities, and even your various tactics."

"Is that so?" The Earl picked up Lero and he transformed into a massive broadsword that was black with grey around the edges that formed the cross on its broadside.

The Earl leaped over Kaito's desk and brought the sword down hard. Kaito, in a flash, drew his blade and blocked his attack. They were in a sword lock, with the Earl pressing harder and harder while Kaito barely showed any effort. "I'm impressed," Kaito said, "Few can actually force me to draw my blade."

Kaito, who was blocking the Earl's attack with both arms, pulled a hand away from the hilt. The swords didn't change position whatsoever. He then formed a fist and then aimed at the Earl's face. The Earl had to pull his hand away to block Kaito's punch and this resulted in his losing ground on the sword lock. He was being pushed back.

Realizing he was in a losing battle, the Earl leaped backwards and away. However, Kaito suddenly appeared before him and kicked him in the stomach. This sent him flying and he crashed against the wall hard, leaving a dent in the stonework. The Earl tried to get back up, but Kaito embedded his foot into the Earl's chest, keeping him pinned. He lost.

"Jack was right not to trust you," the Earl said.

Kaito chuckled, "No, no, he wasn't. You see, when I said I had a change of plans, I wasn't talking about just you. I was talking about everything. We are aware of what Jack really is and we plan on using him to further our goals."

He could see in the Earl's eyes that he was disturbed by this news. "You know what he is?"

"Yes. I did intend to make peace with Halloween Town, but that won't be possible. I don't think they'll react well when they find out that Jack has to die, so I'll get rid of them as well."

"But they're…"

"…dead already. Yes, we know." Kaito then threw his fist into the Earl's face and knocked him out cold. Then he turned to one of the guides. "Take him to a holding cell. We'll send him to the Doctor and have him begin work on his mind."

"Yes, my lord."

"And take this." Kaito detached a device from under his desk and handed it to the guide. "Keep this nearby at all times."

"Of course, sir," the red-haired guide responded. He walked over to the Earl and dragged his body away.

"Kuchinawa!"

One of the guides came forward. "Sir?"

"I hereby authorize the creation of the assassination squad you always wanted."

Kuchinawa's face was hidden, but his eyes gave away his excitement. "Sir, I am honored to carry out your orders. Who shall be in my team?"

"Why, your friends, of course!" he chuckled. "I know how fond you are of them and they are excellent in combat. They work well together. Really, there can be no other choice."

"I appreciate this greatly, sir!"

"I am glad to hear it. I will have your first target lined up soon."He seemed to pause for a moment and then said, "Oh, one more thing. Seal the door." The door that led to the hallway began glowing purple. He finally gave the order. "Open the Waygate and release the Black Wind!" Kaito then turned to look at the door. "You better run, Jack!" he shouted.

Jack, who had been listening behind the door the entire time, was startled. How long had he known?!

He stepped away from the door and was about to bolt when he felt something on his bones. A slight breeze came from down the hallway. He could sense something behind this wind. There was something evil and powerful behind it.

He then began hearing...voices. They were whispering to him. Jack mentally dismissed, though. It was clear he was imagining things.

The fire on the torches began flickering. Some were even going out at the far end. Wait, that's not the case. Jack squinted his empty eye sockets and upon closer inspection, he realized that they weren't going out. They were being swallowed up by something…black. No, it was darker than black.

The wind blowing on his bones grew more and more intense. Jack finally decided to turn around and make a run for the elevator. This thing's power was far beyond his own. He was a competent fighter, but his skills would be useless against it.

That word stuck out in his mind. Useless…

Jack made a right at the elevator and quickly pulled the lever. Luckily, it went straight down. He quickly studied the controls to make sure he would reach the ground floor. It didn't take long to figure out since there was a button for each floor. He pushed the proper one.

Those voices he was hearing grew louder and it became clear he wasn't imagining them. They were whispers. What they were whispering he could not tell at this point.

The elevator hit the bottom and the "Black Wind" came ever closer. Jack, not bothering to lock the elevator in place, ran down the hallways taking each corner as he remembered them. It came closer and closer.

Then he began making out what the creature was whispering. What he heard chilled his very being. _Flesh so fine, so fine to tear, to gash the skin; skin to strip, to plait, so nice to plait the strips, so nice, so red the drops that fall; blood so red, so red, so sweet; sweet screams, pretty screams, singing screams, scream your song, sing your screams…_

Jack let out a gush of laughter. Flesh? He had no flesh! He was dead! Come to think of it, why was he running? He had nothing to fear from this creature. In fact, he perfected the art of scaring for thousands of years!

He rounded around the corner and saw the entrance that led to the courtyard. He immediately ran for it, practically feeling this "Black Wind" on his back. Seeing the outside reminded him of Halloween Town and what the Kaito Consortium plans on doing to it. Right now, his priority is to make it back there alive to warn the citizens of the oncoming storm. Judging from what happened with the Earl, he had no doubt he was going to attempt to make good on his threat.

As he bolted down the hallway, he felt a curious sensation. It felt like his heart was being pulled out of his body. But he had no heart. Rather, it felt like his soul was being ripped from his body by the Black Wind. Bit by bit, he seemed to lose control of his body and was slowing down.

Jack grew weaker and weaker by the second. Everything seemed to be fading. Is this what death feels like?

As these thoughts poured into his mind, a yellow light began glowing in the hallway. It was behind him, so he could not see whatever it was, but he didn't care.

He emerged from the entrance, and control returned so suddenly he stumbled and fell to the ground, rolling away. Once he came to a stop, Jack sat up, thankful that he was still in his own body.

He got back on his feet and glanced back at the entrance. It was halted there, appearing unable to progress any further. As to why, Jack didn't know. The Black Wind seemed to be nothing more than a wall of darkness, its whispers now as loud as screams. It desperately wanted to kill Jack, perhaps worse.

He approached the entrance cautiously and studied this thing. How could a human take command of such a creature?

He then stopped this thinking process. He can wonder about this later. Halloween Town needs to be warned.

As he turned to leave, he heard a mechanical whirring sound. What now?

Then it hit him. Jack saw no other way out and immediately ran to the edge of the cliff. The turrets then opened fire, unleashing a rapid fire volley.

Orange blasts impacted the ground all around him, kicking up dirt as Jack ran. He leapt off the edge and prayed he would survive the impact. Luckily, it was sloped, so Jack landed on the side and slid all the way down. He swore the back of his pelvis cracked. The clothes ripped open in places, but luckily, it wasn't enough to where it fell off after he halted.

Jack once again got back up on his feet and looked up at the turrets. They stopped firing, but is it safe to assume he was in the clear? Immediately, he took off running to the bluff upon which sat the portal he used to get here. He could only hope it was still open.

Thoughts penetrated his skull as he ran. What did Kaito mean when he said that he knew what Jack was? Was he something other than what he was now, the Pumpkin King? Or was that what he was referring to? Half a second passed before Jack decided that it was the former. The Kaito Consortium and the Millenium Earl knew something about him that was kept hidden for thousands of years. And that was most likely the reason why he was being targeted along with the rest of Halloween Town.

With renewed vigor, he began climbing the bluff. He paused for a moment to catch a glimpse of the turrets. They weren't moving whatsoever. In fact, they were still trained on where he was when he leapt off the hill. Why is that? He's in plain view of the turrets. In fact, they could have fired on him the whole time! So why…? He must be out of their range. That has to be it. But even so, he couldn't afford to take chances. He resumed his climb faster than before.

Before long, he reached the top and saw that the portal was still open. Jack called it a portal, but it took the appearance of a gate. It was barely big enough for Jack to fit through and glowed dark red which gave it a very menacing vibe.

Jack approached and it opened. He threw himself into it and was caught by black tentacles, which wrapped themselves around his body and dragged him in. He was pulled away from that sinister place and felt relief as he was deposited back in the forest, where each tree had on it a symbol of a Holiday Town. He was safe!

He immediately opened the symbol of the pumpkin and was thrust into another portal, this one of a different nature. Gravity seemed to have no bearing as he was inside. He was being pulled and pushed at the same time, the two forces causing him to swirl beyond his control.

After a moment, he was deposited back into the graveyard. Relieved to be in his natural environment, he got back on his feet and laid his eye sockets on the animated rag doll and ghosts standing before him. This doll he knew rather well. In fact, they've been friends for a long time before they became lovers and eventually, husband and wife. Ever since, then, she had earned the title, Pumpkin Queen. She had red hair that came down to her waist and skin that had a slight tinge of blue. Stitches ran across her face that was shaped like a smile not unlike Jack's. The ghosts that surrounded her appeared to be very…plain. They seemed to be semi-transparent entities with three holes on their heads: the eyes and mouth. There were no features to distinguish between them.

The doll, Sally, saw the state Jack was in and immediately ran to greet him. "Oh, my darling Jack, I've been looking for you, what happened?! Your suit…"

Indeed, it was ripped to shreds, but that was the least of his worries. Jack placed his hands on her shoulders to ensure he had her attention. "Sally, please spread the word: town hall meeting in half an hour. I will explain everything that's happened there."

"But…"

Jack then took her hands into his. "Please do this for your husband."

Sally then embraced and kissed her husband. "Of course. You rest in the meantime, alright?"

"That's what I intend to do." Jack watched as Sally turned away and ran towards the town, followed by the ghosts. Situated on a hill, barely staying on top of it, Halloween Town was full of odd people, assorted creatures, misplaced spirits, and even a couple entities. It, of course, is frightening to most who venture into the town, but the citizens themselves are not as crooked or misshapen as the structures they live in. Jack was proud to live among them.

He began walking towards the dog house with the cross on it, tapping his leg once he arrived. A ghost dog with a bright red nose leapt out of the grave and greeted Jack excitedly with a sniff. Jack knelt down and gave him a good scratch behind the ears. "Yes, I'm glad to be back, too."

He sat down on the ground next to his companion and felt relief wash over his bones. Zero didn't hesitate to float onto his lap and lick his face. Jack sat there and let him do so.

As he gave me a good scratch on the ears, his thoughts turned to what happened not ten minutes ago. "Oh, Zero…have I messed up once again? Was I once again blinded by my own ambition?

"Come to think of it, what did I hope to accomplish? That guide, Sora, told me about the Millenium Earl being at his employer's base and how his dark designs have torn another world apart. I remember being so angry that I immediately demanded a meeting with him.

"I never showed it, though. I kept my anger inside, bottled up, until Kaito mentioned he would make us into soldiers." Jack chuckled at the thought. "Can you imagine us being soldiers? Even I struggle with that image." He then sighed. "Ah, but alas, I didn't react as such. My anger exploded to the surface and I unleashed it upon him. But I am glad I did, otherwise, I probably would've struck the Millenium Earl. He would've ended me, if I had done that.

And because he 'needed to accelerate his plans,' he targeted me. But why? For what purpose? Regardless…" Jack then looked down on his pet, who was listening attentively to what he was saying. "I won't give them what they want. If I must, I will leave this place… No, wait, Kaito said he would attack Halloween Town if I stayed. If I left, would he attack it, anyway?"

Zero gave out a loud bark when the bell rang. Ten minutes until the meeting. "I should get going now, boy." He then pulled out one of his ribs and threw it towards the town, where Zero took off, chasing it down. They continued like that for a few minutes as Jack entered his much beloved town.

He decided that he will bring this up with the citizens, hear their say, and decide what to do from there. Zero came back to him with his rib in his mouth. Jack took it and put it back in its place. "Go on home now, boy. I'll see you when I get back." Zero whined, but reluctantly obeyed his master.

Jack walked down the opposite way on the road and looked up at the town hall. He let out a great big sigh of relief. Yes, he was indeed home. He walked through the entrance, all of the citizens already gathered. Jack thought, _How will they react when I tell them they may face an enemy that can possibly kill them?_


End file.
